Mass transfer of pesticides into the atmosphereby volatilization from soils and plants: overview

Abstract

Volatilization may represent a major dissipation pathway for pesticides applied to soils or crops, accounting for up to 90% of the application dose in some cases. This paper collects and discusses recent data in the literature about this process. On the day of appli- cation, pesticide volatilization rates ranged from 0.1 g .ha -1.h -1 for prometton compound to 80 g.ha -1.h -1 for fonofos, for example. In ge- neral, pesticides are volatilized from plant surfaces to a greater extent and faster than from the soil. Volatilization continues for from a few days to several weeks (or sometimes even more), occasionally displaying a diurnal cycle. According to the experimental studies re- ported in the literature, the main factors affecting this process during the first few days after treatment have been identified as follows: the physico-chemical characteristics of the compound and the environmental conditions (temperature, soil moisture, nature of the soil or the crop) are key parameters, along with management practices. pesticides / volatilization rate / physico-chemical factors / environmental factors / agricultural practices